AT the recent Healthwatch Worcestershire AGM I stood up to say that I do not believe that the Health and Care NHS Trust is being well led.

I believe that the present leadership, which has been in place for some years, has seriously reduced the mental health services available to people who need them.

The Trust is pleased to announce a £2.8 million surplus in 2014/2015. I am not surprised.

Day centres and respite care places have been cut back, and there are no workshops where those with a mental illness can meet others, feel values and be treated with dignity. Support available to carers is rock bottom.

The CQC inspection report lets the leadership off lightly, but in the end they will not be able to escape responsibility for the report’s verdict that the Trust “requires improvement”.

The report did not even begin to deal with further criticisms that are being made.

An inquiry into serious allegations of abuse of staff against senior managers is about to start, and the much publicised concerns about care at Pershore Hospital must also begin to be addressed.

I used to work at Harvington Ward at Kidderminster and I am appalled at the deterioration that was revealed by the CQC report. Surely competent managers could have made sure that patients were not exposed to ligature risks before the CQC began its investigation.

We are told that the chief executive and chairman regularly took walkabouts around their services, but they did not notice.

With the recent closure of Cookley Ward by the Acute Trust, it is becoming obvious to many Worcestershire residents that our NHS is falling apart.

Any one of us could have the misfortune tomorrow to be rushed to A&E.

We may have a long wait on a trolley.

The options available for freeing up hospital beds are being reduced all the time by closures and the concentration by the Health and Care Trust leadership is its balance sheet rather than the provision of community services.

Sue Blackman Assistant Secretary Betrayed By Their Trust (BBTT)